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LamarWashington's profile

Mentor

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3 Messages

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012 12:57 AM

Closed

AT&T, privacy, and business ethics

I just got this email from AT&T about my CPNI usage. Apparently they want to use my private info for marketing purposes. Here's what's wrong with that.

I'm already a customer, leave me alone. Stop advertising new services and products to your own customers it's an annoying waste that clutters the website, my inbox, and wastes time when calling customer service.

Second, they were going to take my private info anyway if I did not respond the long, confusing e-mail with unfamiliar abbreviations like CPNI. They are profiting from every instance of non-response. Most people don't have the time or don't care enough to contact AT&T and request not to have their privacy invaded.

The language used is deceptive: "By checking this box I am requesting that AT&T restrict the use of my CPNI." that's the quote. See, it seems like they are restricting you, because of the purposefully confusing language. In reality, they are being restricted. I wonder what they have to gain that they would phrase it in a backwards way like this, surely AT&T has no concern for clarity when communicating with customers.

Bad show guys. Most people aren't going to notice, the rest probably won't care, but I hope there are a few people who demand more from a company they pay thousands of dollars to annually.

Teacher

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3 Messages

12 years ago

I am paperless so I do not have a paper bill anywhere and rarely ever sign on because I pay using the *pay feature on the phone and don't see the bill. I feel this is wrong for sight impaired customers too. They CAN'T read the notice or see enough to find their account # and do the phone optout or go to the website. They have their bill drafted and never see a bill or any email ever!

Former Community Manager

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5.2K Messages

12 years ago

Thank you for your feedback. It is certainly your choice if you want to login to review your account and/or bill, just wanted to make sure you were aware the option is available.

 

Our customers who have trouble seeing a printed bill do have options like large print bills or in some cases, bills may be printed in braille. 

 

Here is a link with some information about accessibility: http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/articles-resources/disability-resources/disability-resources.jsp

Contributor

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1 Message

12 years ago

I would like to that AT&T CUSTOMERS for helping us figure out how to FIX WHAT AT&T EMPLOYEES are so shamefully and obviously trying to hide--like our friend jamileh, here.

 

 

 

Tutor

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2 Messages

12 years ago

I am trying to get to an ATT employee. there was no place to contact one on the home page. So I have signed in to chat to do so.  However, now I am on the main page as "welecomed" as a new member.  I originally wanted to find out about this email that came in about privacy because the account number is not mine.  I guess after spending an hour trying to do this online I will just call tomorrow and straighten this out.  Because now I am even more upset that my name is blasted on the site and I didn't want that to happen. I tried to remove my info that I just created to chat and there is no place to do that either. 

 

I want to reduce people getting my info and instead by trying to do so I have done the opposite!!!

Tutor

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1 Message

12 years ago

@jamileh,

 

I've been a customer since the old analog days (early 1990's), put up with the hand off to Cingular, then back to AT&T.  I also work for CS center (different company), and I can tell you that this 'process'  would never be allowed to happen.  The customer is concentric to the business. Period.  Leaving the link off a customer's main account page is illconcieved at best.  It's irresponsible at worst.  Then again, the customer shouldn't need to do anything to protect themselves.  As another post mentioned, this should be an 'opt-in' process.  NOT the other way around!   As an agent of AT&T I would hope that you;ve pulled the andon cord, and made certain this issue is escalated to the greatest extent possible (all the way to the top of CS, or beyond..). 

 

By making this a 'back door' move, AT&T has clearly damaged it's relationship with it's customers...(I can't beleive this isn't a concern).

 

From my perspective, I'm guessing this happened one of two ways:

  1. Sudden push by marketing, resulting in a poorly executed plan.

   2. Lack or absence of prior planning, research, resulting in a poorly executed plan.

  3. All of the above.

 

AT&T clearly could have done this better, making it a win/win, rather than a 'you loose'.

 

That said, I'm so close to leaving AT&T you can't even imagine... Don't bother with the CS "Thank you for your feedback..." response.  Just do your customers (and therefor yourselves) a service and fix the problem.  Thanks.

Former Community Manager

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5.2K Messages

12 years ago


@althea1954 wrote:

I am trying to get to an ATT employee. there was no place to contact one on the home page. So I have signed in to chat to do so.  However, now I am on the main page as "welecomed" as a new member.  I originally wanted to find out about this email that came in about privacy because the account number is not mine.  I guess after spending an hour trying to do this online I will just call tomorrow and straighten this out.  Because now I am even more upset that my name is blasted on the site and I didn't want that to happen. I tried to remove my info that I just created to chat and there is no place to do that either. 

 

I want to reduce people getting my info and instead by trying to do so I have done the opposite!!!


Althea - Were you able to speak with someone to address this issue? If not, please send me a private message with your name, phone number and the best time to contact you.




To send a private message, you can either click on the link in this message or click on the little blue envelope in the upper right hand corner, click "compose new message" and type my username in the "Send To" field.

Former Community Manager

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5.2K Messages

12 years ago

@analogcustomer - Though you don't want to hear it, your comments are appreciated. Feedback like yours (and the rest of this thread), is what makes it possible for me to give information to the people so we can make positive changes. 

 

We definitely want to make every interaction win-win.

Tutor

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1 Message

12 years ago

I just received the email posted below.  After calling the number provided and lodging a complaint stating that this was a violation of my privacy and I absolutely do not want my personal information shared with any 3rd parties;  I was told by the CSR and her supervisor that this was a "phishing attack" and I should forward it to the att abuse email that I was given.  

 

After attempting to complete and submit the form, a dialogue box came up stating that "there was an error submitting the form" try again later. I tried two different browsers and received the same error.  The CSR acted like she'd never heard of ATT providing my CPNI to 3rd parties and couldn't beleive that this was something that ATT would do. Riiiiiiiiight.... if Facebook is making a billion dollars selling  the personal information of it's users, why wouldn't ATT attempt to do the same thing regardless of what they're feeding their employees during their training. 

 

Here's the thing. I'm paying close to 100.00/month and on average use less than 150 minutes /month with data/internet that was grandfathered in as I've been a customer for well over 5 years.  If ATT wants to keep milking their loyal mobile customers then I would suggest ATT work on changing this incredibly shady policy and be a bit more transparent when it comes to the use of their paying customers' private information. ATT has an incredible amount of competition out there now and after this, I'm incredibly likely to cancel my contract and save several hundred dollars a year using another service. 

 

 

 

 
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 5:03 PM
AT&T
att.com |  Support |  Log In   
An important message about the privacy of your customer information (Customer Proprietary Network Information or CPNI)
Dear xxxxxx,

Regarding Your Account: xxxxxxxxxxxx

The protection of our customers' privacy is of utmost importance to the employees and management of the AT&T family of companies (AT&T)*. Please take a moment to read the following important message about the privacy of your customer information. 

AT&T companies that provide telecommunications and interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service (which permits VoIP customers to both send and receive calls to/from customers with traditional telephone/telecommunications service) would like to share your customer proprietary network information within the AT&T family of companies for our own marketing purposes, including using that information to offer you additional products and services. 

What is CPNI? Your CPNI includes the types of telecommunications and interconnected VoIP services you currently purchase, how you use them and the related billing for those services. CPNI does not include your telephone number, your name or your address. Protecting the confidentiality of your CPNI is your right and our duty under federal law. As an AT&T customer, you can restrict the use of your CPNI even within the AT&T family of companies. 

To allow AT&T to use your CPNI, no further action is required. AT&T will not use your CPNI to offer you other products and services until at least 33 days after this notice was mailed to you. AT&T and our authorized agents will not sell, trade or share your CPNI with anyone other than those who are in the AT&T family of companies or are AT&T authorized agents, unless required by law. 

If at any time you would prefer that AT&T not use your CPNI to offer you additional products and services, you may: 

      - Click 
here
       to submit your request electronically

      - Call 1.800.315.8303 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and follow the prompts

      - Call 1.800.288.2020 and speak to a service representative


Your decision to permit or restrict the use of CPNI will remain in effect until you decide to change it - which you can do at any time without charge. Restricting our use of your CPNI will not affect the provision of any AT&T products or services to which you currently subscribe, nor will it eliminate other types of marketing contacts. 

Thank you for choosing AT&T. We appreciate your business. 

*The AT&T family of companies are those AT&T companies that provide communications-related products and/or services, including the AT&T local and long distance companies, AT&T Corp., AT&T Long Distance, AT&T Internet Services, AT&T Mobility, and other subsidiaries or affiliates of AT&T Inc. that provide, design, market or sell these products and/or services. 

Thank you,
AT&T Online Services
www.att.com  

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Tutor

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1 Message

12 years ago

ATT customers get no respect......  It's not like we have loads of free time to spare opting-out of some sleazy marketing crap from ATT.  I am sick of this and will respond with my feet.  I fired ATT land-line service seven years ago when they "slammed" my long distance service; I've been a happy Vonage customer ever since.  Verizon looks like my next destination.  What a way to loose a 10+ year multi-cell line customer......

Former Community Manager

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5.2K Messages

12 years ago

cmarion1 - I'm sorry that you had such a poor experience both on the phone and online. 

 

If you happen to remember the name (or ID) of the people you spoke with, please send me a private message. I would like to make sure that these representatives are properly informed. 

 

I'm not sure why you ran into errors on the website, there have not been any issues reported with it.

Where you eventually able to opt out? If not, please let me know so I can help. 


To send a private message, you can either click on the link in this message or click on the little blue envelope in the upper right hand corner, click "compose new message" and type my username in the "Send To" field.

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